Local Sports Organizations Unite for Citywide Sports Bra Drive

January 20, 2026

The W Sports Bar and Play Gap have announced a new community collaboration to help remove barriers for women and girls to participate in athletics. In line with National Girls and Women in Sport Day on February 5th, the organizations will run a sports bra drive for the international nonprofit, The Sports Bra Project. Their goal is to collect 216 sports bras, a tribute to Cleveland’s area code, and drive financial donations ranging from $2.16 to $216 to make an additional impact.

“Sports bras are a universal necessity across all fitness activities, so by improving access to sports bras, we’ll increase the number of people who can enjoy all the benefits of play,” explained Elise Vue, Co-Founder of Play Gap.

From February 1 through February 8, community members are invited to donate new sports bras of all sizes to the W Sports Bar during business hours. The lack of a well-fitting sports bra should never prevent someone from being involved in sports.

By gathering these essential items, the partnership aims to ensure athletes of all ages and sizes have the gear they need to play with confidence and comfort.

The week-long drive will begin with a special Kick-Off Event at The W Sports Bar on February 1 at 1:00 PM, which is open to the public. In the spirit of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, youth and adult sports teams are especially encouraged to participate. Teams can organize internal collections ahead of time or gather at The W Sports Bar to make their donations together.

“We are really excited to partner with Play Gap and The Sports Bra Project for this drive. This is something that means a lot to us because access to sports bras can truly make or break someone’s ability to participate in sports,” said Ally Eclarin, co-founder of The W Sports Bar.

This Sports Bra Drive will bring athletes and sports fans from across greater Cleveland to support the future of girls and women’s sports. Let’s show how the 216 can provide 216 (or more) sports bras to athletes in need!